Electric refrigerator



March 17, 1931. M. M. cLlNGMAN ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR Filed Deo.

Y Patented Mu'. 17, 1931 PATENT OFFICE KABEL I. CLINGHAN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS v ELECTRIC REFBIGERATOR Application led December 15, 1927. Serial No. 240,115.

My invention relates in general to iceless refrigerators.

It relates more in particular to a safety device employed in combination with such re- 6 frigerators adapted to perform a useful function which will be brought out as the desemption progresses. f

Iceless refrigerators operated on the principle of the modern electric refrigerating l0, plant are now standard equipment in many. so

called kitchenette apartments. In these 1nstallations, it is customary either to provide a separate refrigerating plant on a small scale in each apartment, or a main plant is sta- 15J tioned at a central point in the building 1ncluding compressors and the like, and the re-y frigerating fluid conveyed tothe separate sub-plants in the different apartments where therefrigerant is expanded in the usual man- I0 ner to produce a cooling effect at such station. The usual motor driven air circulation and like e uipment is employed independent of the principle on which the plant is operated. These apartment plants are often greatly u abused by the users thereof by reasons of the refrigerator doors being left open through accident or design causing a great waste of power which is a real item of expense to the building owner. When an apartment is too warm for any reason whatsoever, for example while cooking is oing on in summer, tenants will often open tie refrigerator door simply for the purpose of cooling the apartment, and the refrlgerator operates for long intervals at full capacity. 1

The principal object of my invention is to overcome the condition set out in the preceding ara aph.

Anot er o ject is to prevent the operation of the cooling mechanism when the refrigerator door is o ened. v l

Another ob] ect is to provide means for preventing the operation of the cooling mechanism when the refrigerator door is opened, said means designed so as to be inaccessible to the ordinary user of the refrigerator.

Another object is to provide a switch for shutting of the electric currentv supplied to the refrigerator when the door thereof is 50 opened. l

Another object is to rovide such a mechanism so designed that 1t cannot be tampered with to make it ineffective.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view showing a usual form of iceless refrigerator;

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view such as would through a door 12. Both of these doors are secured on-suitable hinges and are provided with any suitable locking means to normally maintain them in closed position.

The lower compartment has refrigeratin mechanism designated generally by the re erence character 13 and operated by'an electric motor 14, current being supplied thereto by suitable leads which may be dlsp'osed within the wall of the refrigerator as shown in Fig. 2 and connected with a suitable commercial source of current through a usual form of plug 16.

In accomplishing the invention, I have in mind a refrigerator so designed that it will be inoperative when either one of the doors is open.' It may be rendered inoperative in several ways, for example by making the switch affect the circulation of the refrigerating fluid, the movement of the air within the refrigerator, by cutting 0E the supply of electric current or in otherways. My invention contemplates the use of any of these means but since itmay be illustrated more readily by the showing of an electric switch controlled by'the opening of the door, I have 9 shown this form solely. l

In the switch embodiment of Fig. 3, the switch is arranged to break the main electrical circuit and is so designed that when a door isv opened, the contact is broken by a snap action of the switch arm and when closed the contact is renewed in the same way'. The arrangement is such that no matter how sli htl the door is opened the circuit will beroli'en a spring 26 is connected, the opposite end of asl the spring being connected to a lug 27 on the switch arm 21. A second spring 28 is connected to the side of the arm 23 and has its other end secured to a screw-eye 29 fastened in the framework. The door 11 has a switch .operating plunger 31 secured thereto and this plunger has an upstanding projection 32 adapted to engage against the arm 23 to `throw the switch. This arm has a side pro-4 jection 23a which the upstanding projection 32 engages in the manner shown when the switch is closed.

The switch operating plunger 31 has an enlarged head 33 adapted to engage against f the sides of a cover plate 34 to limit the opening of the door. A spring 36 is secured to the inside of the plate 34 and serves as a cushion between the head 33 and plate 34 when the door is opened the full width.

In the operation of the refrigerator equipped with this switch, everything takes lace in the usual way,- the only difference is that when the door is opened the cooling s mechanism of the refrigerator will not function. The arrangement is such that the switch cannot be tampered with and for this reason it will always be effective. The switch, as will be pointed out, servesto open the circuit no matter how slightly the door is opened and closes just as surely when the refrigerator door is closed.

In the operation of the switch itself, the projection 32 engages along the side of the arm 23 and gradually forces it in a direction toward the left of Fig. 3 and then rides down on the portion 23a until it assumes the position shown in the figure. The switch arm has been held against a stop 37 previous to the operation of the switch but when the arm is far enough to the left so that the spring is slightly past the pivot point 22, the vswitch arm w11] be carried into engagement with the contacts 18 with a snap action. 'The slightest movement of the door serves to permit the spring 28 to move the arm 23 suiiicientlv to take the arm 21 out of engagement with the contacts with the same kind of a sna motion. It will be seen from the arm 23 an the arrangement of the operating projection 32, that the movement does not have to be great to cause operation of the switch. This is arranged so that the door 11 does not actually uncover the opening before the switch opens.k In other words, the movement is less than the width or thickness of the door.

The invention may be applied to either or both doors or any place where it is necessary. It need not take the particular form s hown and for this reason the invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In an artificially cooled refrigerator operated by electric power, an electric circuit for su plying said power, a switch included 1n sal circuit and having a pair of electrical contacts and a switch arm forclosing said contacts, an operating arm forming a part of the switch, a spring for urging said operatlng arm in a direction away from the contacts, and means carried by the refrig-v erator door for holdin the operating arm in a position to actuate t e switch arm to close the two electrical contacts when the` door is closed.

2. In an electric motor driven refri erator having the usual insulated walls an door, a quick acting type of electrical switch controlling the clrcuit of said motor, means for supporting the switch within a refrigerator wall, an arcuate plunger carried by the door and extending through an aperture in the wall to close the electrical switch when the door is closed and to open the switch when the door is open.

3. The combination of claim 2 with means carried lby the plunger for preventing its entire withdrawal. from the wall opening whereby tampering with the switch is prevented.

4. In an electrically actuated refrigerator having insulated walls and a door, an electric circuit for the actuating means, a quick acting type of electrical switch controlling said circuit, means for supporting the switch within a refrigerator wall, an arcuate plunger carried by the door and extending through an aperture in the wall to close the electrical switch when the door is closed and open it when the door is open.

In witnesswhereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of November, 1927.

MABEL M. CLINGMAN. 

